Are You Afraid of the Dark?
by where-my-heart-resides
Summary: HxD SLASH! Again, I had this up then took it down. Harry did NOT want to be lying there, side by side with Draco Malfoy to begin with. It didn't make it better that Malfoy appeared to be afraid of the dark... and looking to Harry for comfort! Oneshot.


More one-shots!!! YAY!!! -waits for applause- -cricket- Um... Okay then, I'll just write... I guess... DxH. Like slash. Like boy on boy. Like Harry+DracoLove. Get it? This is set in sixth year. HBP never happened.

Yeah, this has been up before. I honestly have no idea why I took it down.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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_I hate this. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this._ Harry thought. There was another school lock down thing. Brilliant. Bloody freaking brilliant. This is just was Harry needed. He was busy with everything that was going on, and now this. Everybody had been send down to the great hall after a supposed death eater threat. They were lying down here, in they big, purple sleeping bags, watching the ghosts float around the room.

Harry was not sleeping near Hermione and Ron. He refused. Ever since they had started dating, it's been nothing but lovey dovey this, and lovey dovey that. He'd searched and searched for a place to sleep. Neville was sleeping near Luna. Seamus, Dean, Lavender, and Parvati were all holed up in a little corner. Ginny was sleeping near her fifth year friends. And before Harry knew it, every sleeping bag in the hall had been filled. Except for one. Which happened to be right next to none other that Draco Malfoy.

Harry had sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and walked over to him.

"Coming to join me, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. Harry briefly wondered where Malfoy's gang was. Then he had remembered. Evey since Malfoy had 'joined the light side' (Harry refused to believe it) they had fond another ring leader. Blaise Zabini. So the three of them were all balled up a few meters away, leaving Malfoy alone.

"Not like I have a choice." Harry glared back. He sank into the sleeping bag. He faced away from Malfoy (who was to his right).

_I hate this. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this._ He thought as he lay there. He hated the fact that they death eaters were still at large. He hated the fact that he'd become a third wheel among his friends. He hated that he had to sleep on the floor, in a room with the rest of the school. And most of all, he hated the fact that he was laying next to Malfoy, his self-proclaimed enemy.

"So, Potter, why aren't you snuggled up next to your buddies? Oh yeah, I forgot. They ran off together, leaving you all alone." Malfoy said mockingly. Harry felt anger bubble inside of him. This was none of Malfoy's business.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy." Harry said. Who was Malfoy to talk? At Least Harry could still hang out with his friends most of the time. Malfoy was always alone. Always, always alone. As he thought it, a pang of pity ran through him. Malfoy gave up everything. His friends, his family, his reputation, his respect. All to do what was right. But they pity was soon replaced by anger.

"Aw, is Potter sad? Because his 'friends' left him alone so they could go screw in a corner?" Malfoy said. That was the wrong thing to say. Harry whirled around, a pink flush rising up his face quickly.

"Don't _ever_ say that about my friends. Ever." Harry looked so scary that Malfoy closed his mouth immediately. Harry didn't bother to roll back over. Malfoy had already done so. Harry sat and stared for a while, long after Malfoy fell asleep. He couldn't rest. He didn't know why, he just couldn't.

_One, two, three. One, two, three. _Harry counted Malfoy's breaths as his figure rose and fell with each intake or outtake of air. Harry got bored of it after a while. So he began to count each of Malfoy's silky, blond hairs. He'd made it to around three hundred before he got too tired to keep track. Harry rolled over to face the ceiling. The ghosts had all left by now, and the candles had been blown out, leaving the room in udder darkness.

Harry stared at the stares that lit up the sky dimly for a while. Then, a few dark clouds covered it, allowing Harry to be left in complete blackness. There wasn't a light in the place. Everybody else must've been asleep by now. Although he couldn't see it, Harry knew how far away the ceiling was. It left him to be absorbed in the darkness. He felt like he was spiraling away into it. He was almost completely sucked into it, when a loud _bang_ of thunder shook the room.

Harry felt Malfoy shift beside him. He must be awake by now. Actually, Harry was surprised that more people weren't stirring. Harry was almost pulled into sleep, so tired that it felt as if weights were pulling his eyelids away. Then, another roll of thunder shook the room. This time, he heard a small whimper coming from Malfoy.

Harry ignored it. He stared back at the darkness that rested all around him. Harry sighed. He loved times like this. Sometimes he felt like darkness was his best friend. The only one who wanted him around. Sure, the whole entire world _needed_ him. But nobody _wanted_ him. And it hurt. So he would curl up into the darkness. The darkness that gave him comfort. The darkness that wanted him. He was pulled from his thoughts as more thunder rumbled throughout the room.

Harry nearly screamed as he felt a hand enclose on his.

"Malfoy!" He hissed. Malfoy didn't answer.

"Malfoy, what are you _doing?_" Harry asked. Malfoy whimpered in reply. Wait... Was it possible that Draco Malfoy was... No, it was impossible.

"Malfoy! I order you to let go of my right this instant!" Harry commanded in a whisper. Malfoy squeezed harder in response. So... maybe.. maybe it _was_ true... maybe... He needed to make sure.

"Malfoy? Why are you so freaked out?" Harry said, his tone much softer than his intended. Malfoy didn't answer. So it was true. Draco Malfoy was... afraid of the dark. Oh, this was too good to be true.

"Are you... Are you afraid of the dark?" Harry asked him, to see if he replied. Malfoy's hand began to shake in his.

"Where-Where are the ghosts? And the candles?" Malfoy murmured. So Harry was right.

"They left. Hours ago. Are you afraid of the dark?" Harry repeated. Malfoy didn't let go of his hand.

"So what if I am?" Draco asked. He sounded choked up, as if he was trying hard not to let fear enter his voice. A new wave of pity washed over Harry. Harry knew what it was like, to be afraid of the dark.

Harry would never forget that feeling. When he was little, and his uncle used to lock him in his closet. He felt so trapped. Like there was nobody there. Like he was alone. He hated being afraid. But as hard as he tried, he couldn't rid himself of the feeling that the blackness was closing in on him. That it was going to suffocate him. Of course, he eventually got over that. But, obviously, Malfoy had not. Another wave of thunder washed over them. Malfoy whimpered, and scooted closer to him. Harry didn't scoot away.

So they lay there the rest of the night, bodies pressed up against one another until the two fell asleep. And the next morning, the two woke up next to each other. They scooted away, and back to their original spots.

Harry did not like Malfoy. Malfoy did not like Harry. They would go back to normal. Glaring at each other in the corridors, sending snide remarks each other's way. But there was a connection. One that nobody knew about. Except for those two. And everyday, and they sent the supposedly hurtful messages to each other, there was a change in tone. One so slight that not another person would notice it. Harry and Draco, both made loners, felt like they belonged. Like they had a place to be. Even if it was with each other.

_The dark brings many things. _

_Fear, set astry from light's bright rings._

_The dark brings comfort,_

_Kind and true._

_But most important of all, _

_The dark brings you. _

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So, whaddya think? I dunno... I kinda liked it. R&R, and remember, flames are for arsonists!!!


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